Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Ironwood — Wags were everywhere Sunday as dozens of dogs accompanied their owners to celebrate the 8th Annual Hound Dog Hike at the new dog park in Miners Memorial Heritage Park in Ironwood.
“We’ve got a really great turnout,” said Colleen Sachs, president of the board for HOPE Animal Shelter. Help Orphaned Pets Everywhere is located just north of the dog park, which is on the intersection of Ayer and Bonnie streets.
The fundraiser included refreshments and trail maps, and t-shirts were available for sale. Ironwood artist Amanda Szot was selling handmade items such as suncatchers and jewelry, with each item resulting in a $10 donation to HOPE. Karen Palmquist of Stormy Kromer, in the adjacent industrial park, was encouraging people to register for a free “critter Kromer” and pet bandana.
A lot of sniffing took place throughout the event, as dogs introduced themselves to each other. Event organizers asked owners to keep their dogs leashed for the day, although leashes normally are not required in the dog park.
Any person using the park can enter through a fenced-in “foyer” and shut its doors while safely unleashing his or her dog. Upon leaving, the same structure can be used to re-leash the dog before exiting the external door.
“This is the first Hound Dog Hike that we’re starting from the park, which opened unofficially in the spring,” said Sachs while addressing the crowd to a harmony of doggy vocals. She said Sunday’s event was also like a grand opening for the dog park.
According to Sachs, the land for Miners Memorial Heritage Park is owned by the City of Ironwood, but city officials “kindly” granted permission to create the as of yet unnamed dog park within the larger park.
Sachs said dog park volunteers are considering the name Mount Hope because a now defunct mine shaft across the street had that name, but she said area residents can weigh in on their choice for a name on the Facebook page of Friends of the Miners Memorial Heritage Park.
The park was made possible through the “collaborative effort” of volunteer labor, said Sachs, who especially credited four Ironwood residents, including Paul Kostelnik, who did initial design work, estimates, shopping and general project management, and Bill Hellen, Ivan Hellen, and Marion True, who were praised as tireless workers and a critical, ongoing part of the park’s development.
Finally, Anne Lawrence of Ironwood was acknowledged as originally suggesting the dog park, for which her husband, Alan, drew the first diagram.
Kostelnik said the totally fenced in dog park is a little under an acre. He said he consulted youtube videos and a local source for direction in creating the fence. He decided on welded wire and added some wood posts for added sturdiness but also “to give it a little more character,” he said.
Kostelnik is thrilled with the overall setting. “These trees are just fantastic,” he said of a shady area in the center of the park.
“This is nice!” said Pat Kangas of Montreal, who was there with her friend, Michelle Vaara of Hurley. “I do the trails a lot in the winter,” said Kangas, who added of her dog Maggie May, age 11, also in attendance, “I take her on the trails. She loves to be outside.”
Jesse and Mercedes Vokolek of Hurley also were there with Drake, their excited nine-month-old dog, who has visited the site before. Dan and Kim Paris of Oma were exercising two dogs named Jughead and Molly. “These are HOPE dogs,” said Kim.
Karen Mattson of Hurley was accompanied by her friend, Gavin Moderson of Hurley, and her really large one-year-old mutt, aptly named Maximus. “This is a socialization for him,” she said of the dog’s first visit to the park.
Sunday’s event also featured a ribbon cutting by park volunteers, HOPE officials, and a couple members of Ironwood’s city commission.
After the ribbon cutting, city commissioner Jim Mildren praised the region’s volunteer and entrepreneurial spirit. “The town is busy,” he said. “The stores are packed. Young people are starting stores. We have a great college. It just goes on and on.”
Dave McDonnell of Ironwood said he wished national government operated with as much positivity as that of the local area. Moreover, he concluded, while gazing at all the happy hounds, “I wish people would get along as well as these dogs.”
